When he was called up to join the senior squad just after his 16th birthday at Feyenoord, Georginio Wijnaldum was marked as the next big talent to come out of the Dutch youth setup. He further underlined his credentials in his professional debut match by delivering a Man of the Match performance. After delivering strong performance for 8 seasons, he left the Netherlands and joined Newcastle United in the summer of 2015. Although he performed well at the club, the overall team performances were poor and they were relegated. But he managed to secure a move to Liverpool, where he became an important clog of Jurgen Klopp‘s team.

Position

Shirt Number

Build

Athletic

Height

5 ft 9 in or 175 cm

Weight

70 kg or 154.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Georginio Wijnaldum has dated

Virginia Braaf – Georginio is in a long time relationship with Virginia Braaf. They had met in school and have been together since they were 12 years old. In August 2017, he posted an update on his Instagram account to reveal that Virginia had given birth to their son, Jacian Emile Wijnaldum. She has also given birth to two daughters – Ki-yeann and Aysïa-Mae.

Georginio Wijnaldum with his family members at Dubai, UAE in June 2018 (Georginio Wijnaldum / Instagram)

Race / Ethnicity

Black

He has Afro-Surinamese ancestry.

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

Short Trimmed Hairdo

Brand Endorsements

Georginio Wijnaldum has a personal endorsement deal with Adidas and as per the deal, he wears Adidas footwear for his professional matches.

Georginio Wijnaldum shirtless working out in July 2018 (Georginio Wijnaldum / Instagram)

Best Known For

His great performances in the Dutch league for 8 seasons. His stint in the Dutch league was divided between Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven and he made more than 100 matches appearances for both of the established Dutch clubs.

His solid and consistent performances for the English giants, Liverpool FC. He has served as a driving force in the midfield for Jurgen Klopp’s team.

First Soccer Match

In April 2007, he made his professional debut with Feyenoord in the Eredivisie home match against Groningen. At the time of his debut, he was just 16 years and 148 days old and he made an instant impact by winning Man of the Match award in a 4-0 romp.

In August 2011, he made his first appearance for PSV in the opening day fixture of the Dutch top flight against AZ. His team lost the match by 3-1.

In August 2016, Georginio made his first Premier League appearance for Liverpool in a match against Arsenal. He recorded an assist on his debut and played the first 80 minutes of the match.

In September 2011, he made his international debut for Dutch national team in a friendly match against San Marino. He was sent in the 86th minute and scored the final goal in a 11-0 win.

Strengths

Dribbling

Passing

Runs from the midfield

Shooting

Weaknesses

Aerial Duel

Tackling

Defensive work rate

Georginio Wijnaldum Favorite Things

Georginio Wijnaldum during a soccer match in September 2018 (Georginio Wijnaldum / Instagram)

Georginio Wijnaldum Facts

After she got divorced from his father, his mother decided to move to Amsterdam from Rotterdam. However, Wijnaldum decided to stay and spent most of his childhood in Rotterdam, where he lived with his grandmother.

Initially, while growing up, he didn’t have much interest in becoming a soccer player. Instead, he wanted to become an acrobat or gymnast.

His interest in soccer was sparked by a visit to Sparta Rotterdam’s opening day with his nephew. He was later invited to the club’s youth academy. He slowly started falling in love with the game.

He was 6 years old when he joined the youth academy. As he started progressing through the ranks, he was courted by PSV, Ajax, and Feyenoord. Eventually, after having played for Rotterdam for 7 seasons, he decided to join Feyenoord as he felt they were best for his development.

When he made his Eredivisie debut with Feyenoord at the age of 16 years and 148 days, he became the youngest debutant in the club’s history.

In December 2007, he scored his first Eredivisie goal in his side’s 6–0 home win over Heracles Almelo.

In June 2011, it was revealed that PSV had bought Wijnaldum from Feyenoord with the transfer deal reported to have cost around €5 million.

At the start of the 2013-14 season, he was made the captain of the senior team by the Feyenoord club management. However, his participation in the season was limited by his back injury and he played only in 11 matches.

The following season he captained his side to an Eredivisie title. He was fairly prolific in the season and scored 14 goals in 33 appearances.

In July 2015, he moved to English side Newcastle United in a deal worth £14.5 million. He was reported to be the most expensive signing of Mike Ashley’s regime.

He was fairly prolific in his sole season at Newcastle as he scored 11 goals in 38 league appearances. However, it wasn’t a good season for the club as they were relegated from the English top flight.

Liverpool paid an initial £23 million to sign Wijnaldum from Newcastle United in July 2016. The Merseyside club had agreed to pay £2 million in conditional add-ons.

In November 2016, he scored his first goal for Liverpool in a league match against Watford. His side went on to win the match by 6-1.